West Chicago High School teachers could strike as soon as Friday

Pending one last bargaining session, high school teachers in West Chicago could go on strike Friday, according to union officials.

The West Chicago High School Teachers Association will meet Thursday evening with the Community High School District 94 School Board in one more attempt for the two sides to reach an agreement. The association represents 141 teachers working at West Chicago Community High School — the lone school in the district.

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“It’s been nearly two years since we started bargaining with the board. If we don’t reach an acceptable tentative agreement during Thursday night’s bargaining session, we are prepared to go on strike on Friday,” teachers union President Brad Larson said in a statement. “This is not a decision we came to lightly. We need to be able to attract and retain quality teachers, so we can continue to provide an outstanding education to our students.”

A strike could mean no school for more than 2,000 high school students.

At issue is the salary schedule for the teachers. Larson said teachers in the district are paid competitively for the first few years, but those earnings diminish over time, creating a “revolving door” of teachers.